Divisi
When to plant African nightshade in Ilorin South
Kwara, Nigeria
Known here as odu
African nightshade (Solanum scabrum — mnavu, managu, osuga, nsugga, umsobo) is one of Africa's most-loved traditional leafy vegetables: soft, dark, iron- and vitamin-rich leaves that cook down fast and sell steadily at market.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 18 Apr 2026 – 19 Sep 2026 closed for this season | 11 Apr 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 16.7 t/ha | about 23.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 17 Jun 2026 to 17 Jan 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 103–191 days per hectare, by hand | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 29 Apr 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ilorin South leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 19 Sep 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ilorin South
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african nightshade in Ilorin South, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026 season in Ilorin South
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,138 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 83% of this area. |
| 83% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 242 growing days · about 1,150 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 17% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 244 growing days · about 1,160 mm · March to November |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What african nightshade needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 40 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow african nightshade in Ilorin South
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 67 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 84 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 103–191 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a african nightshade crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow African nightshade with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Ilorin South as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
African nightshade in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will african nightshade grow well in Ilorin South?
Ilorin South rates as favourable for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in Ilorin South?
Typically 18 Apr 2026 to 19 Sep 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ilorin South, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
